Solar energy is making quite a splash in the Texas agricultural arena. It’s becoming an increasingly popular option due to its economic, operational, and environmental benefits. Below, we’re going to go over some of these benefits so you can better understand how integrating solar energy into your farm can help you.
Lower Utility Bills
Probably the most obvious way that installing solar energy systems can benefit Texas farmers is by reducing their energy bills. When you’re able to power your barn fans, irrigation systems, pumps, greenhouses, cooling systems, and other electronic equipment with energy that you can harness from the sun, you significantly reduce your consumption of energy from the local power grid.
You can further benefit by integrating your solar energy with the local grid so that you can get paid for the extra power that your solar panels supply. You can also opt to install a battery that will store energy produced during the day so that you can use it at night when your solar panels aren’t producing energy.
Boosts Agriculture Sustainability
When you integrate solar energy into your farm’s operations, you can reduce your reliance on fossil fuels. This helps to reduce your farm’s overall carbon footprint and allows you to have more sustainable farming practices. This can make your farm’s products more appealing to consumers who are environmentally conscious.
Helps With Water Conservation
There’s no doubt that water resources in Texas’ arid climate are a constant struggle for many farmers. Solar energy is great for helping support irrigation systems that offer more sustainable water conservation practices.
Solar energy can power drip irrigation systems anywhere that sunlight is. This is great for offering consistent watering for crops while reducing water waste due to evaporation and runoff. Solar energy opens a whole new door to allowing drip irrigation in areas where traditional electric water pumps and generators are unable to reach.
Through Land Leases
Another notable way that solar energy is helping Texas farmers to become more sustainable is by utility companies offering to lease land for solar farms. Farmers can enjoy a consistent income stream that can allow them to grow their operations while leasing some of their unused property to energy companies. Some of these solar farms even allow farmers access to do agricultural activities on the same land that the solar panels are on.
More Affordable Expansion
One lesser-known way that solar energy is increasing sustainability for Texas farmers is by opening the door to more energy-intensive projects. For example, growing in greenhouses requires adequate lighting, power for fans, and even irrigation systems. This is a very large up-front and ongoing investment for farmers looking to get into growing more delicate crops in a greenhouse fashion.
By using solar energy, these farmers can have a lower introductory cost to getting into these other energy-intensive projects that would normally just be out of their price range due to the energy costs associated with them. When farmers are able to expand their operations, they can create more income streams and sustainability for the future.
Reduces Food Spoilage
One of the biggest struggles that a lot of farmers are going to have is trying to preserve fresh produce, dairy, and meat. A lot of times, farmers have to settle for selling in bulk to chain companies in order to ensure that their products don’t spoil.
When farmers have access to solar energy to power refrigeration and cooling systems, they can hang onto their fresh produce, dairy, and meat for longer. This helps them better optimize selling these products when prices are high and reduces food spoilage, which can reduce prospective profits.
Less Manpower
One of the biggest hindrances that many farmers deal with is not having enough labor to handle the tasks that they need done. This limits the number of projects that they can undertake at once and their overall sustainably to keep up with their ongoing projects.
Solar energy opens the ability to use more automation to help reduce labor costs and allow farmers to reroute the labor they do have to other projects. For example, solar energy can power things like water and feeding systems for livestock to reduce the need for physical labor.
Reliable Solar Energy Installation Service
GVEC Solar & Battery Services offers reliable solar energy services to New Braunfels, Austin, and all of in South Texas. We can also help with all your solar energy replacement, repair, and maintenance needs. Simply give us a call today to book a consultation with one of our helpful service professionals.
